Chapitre 16
Count's View-
It was very late, everyone was fast asleep. I had returned from my little 'side trip' my study was very dark and a single candelabrum illuminated the desk. Photos and notes were scattered all over the desk, I turned a page in Albert's file. Resting my head on my palm, my lids started to droop. My mind raced with a thousand thoughts, clouding my eyes with burning anger, icy lust and glowing greed.
'My vengeance has at last been set into motion. It won't be long now.' I thought, closing my eyes. I didn't even feel my head hit the desk as my mind slipped away... I slept for the first time in months.
It was white, everything was white... the sky, the ground. Then I stepped forward, the ground crunched under my boots and tall black trees emerged from the white earth. Snow was falling from grey clouds; I tried to focus my eyes and saw two green beads in the white horizon. My lips curled as a willowy figure in a pearl dress emerged from the white, my snow princess. Estelle moved closer towards me, her dress was very thin and her arms wrapped around my neck. I curled my arms around her hips, feeling the curve of her fragile spine. Her hands wrapped around my back, standing on her toes she brought her face to mine.
"Excellency..." She whispered, her voice was sweeter than honey. My lips tasted the cool skin of her cheek- then her nails tore into my back, I roared as her hands disappeared and blood pumped out of my back. Her hands seized my heart, a smile on her face. "... you bastard." She whispered, tearing my heart out and clutching it to her chest. I stepped back, blood pouring down my back. Estelle wrapped her hands tightly around my scarlet heart; the blood turned her dress and arms crimson. Slowly she brought the heart to her lips, running the tip of her tongue over it. I snarled as I struck her across the face, still clutching my bleeding heart she gasped in surprise. A large crack appeared on her face, spreading all over her body as tears rolled down her cheeks. She hit the floor, a scream echoed around the white valley as she shattered into a million pieces. I covered my eyes and blocked the pieces of ice that came flying my way, and then they stopped. I opened my eyes, looking down at the remains. Horror wracked my body as the dead body of Mercedes lay at my feet. By her hand was my heart, now shrivelled and black like a diseased fruit.
"Mercedes..." I whispered, kneeling on the floor to touch her. Suddenly she shrunk, changed... Albert now lay at my feet. He turned his head to me, he was smiling.
"Count? Why did you do that?" Albert asked, sitting up and wiping his mouth where blood was dripping. I opened my mouth to speak but the voice was not mine.
"Les de toute beauté âme coeur c'est remplir à espérer. Le fait le thanksggiving très plus de exquise à écraser. (The beautiful soul's heart is filled with hope. It makes it that much more delicious to crush)" Gankutsuou said. There was the plucking of Haydee's harp and the scene changed. I was in a dark hallway; ahead of me was a door just ajar. A long ribbon of light cast across my face, there was the sound of writhing sheets. I started to move towards the room, an image flashed in my head. Estelle threw her head back, her lips parted in a sigh of pleasure. I didn't get any closer to the door. Her white skin glistening against red satin sheets, dark love-bites along her throat. Drake Lee's lips covered hers; she wrapped her arms around him and whispered a name.
"Ah! Edmond!" She cried, the hallway lurched and I clasped my hand over the door handle and the door was flung open. Demonic green eyes glared at me, claws in the dark, blood in the night! I clasped my hands over my ears as screams filled my head, my eyes clenched shut. Wails of agony and misery, weeping princesses, fallen sailors, damned wives.
"STOP! Make it stop!" I shouted.
"Une colombe valide les sucrer quand son coeur c'est remplir à tristesse. Don't vous l'agrément mon amie? (A dove sounds the sweetest when its heart is filled with sorrow. Don't you agree my friend?)" My body shook as claws tore at my skin, my hair, the stench of imprisonment.
"I'm innocent I tell you! I'm innocent!" I wailed. Cool, soft lips on mine-
I awoke so violently that I toppled backwards from my chair, scattering files across the room. Wiping my head on my sleeve, my chest rose and dropped with staggering breath. I got to my feet, supporting myself with my desk and closing my eyes.
"Wha-What the hell was that?" I muttered, closing my eyes and passing my hand over my face. 'I do not sleep, let alone dream!' I thought. White curls tumbled into my hand, frightened green eyes. "Estelle!" I lifted the candelabrum off my desk and stepped outside the doors of the study. The light from the candles reflected off the tall golden pillars of my manor as I made my way to Estelle's room. "One glance, just to settle my nerves." I muttered, pausing a few steps from her door. I hesitated before silently opening her door, raising the candelabrum to give light. Her arm across her belly, her head to one side. She twitched slightly- I closed my eyes and turned to leave.
"Ugh! No!" She groaned, her body shook. I took a step closer to her, closing the door behind me.
"Estelle?" Suddenly her chest rose from the bed, her head and neck hard in the pillows. A sick choking noise came from her throat, her fingers clutched at the sheets.
"Please! Stop this, please!" She begged, dropping the candelabrum I rushed to her side, it fell with a loud clatter and the flames died.
"Wake up!" I hissed, shaking her gently. She suddenly let out a cry of pain and tears rolled down her cheeks, she gasped for breath.
"AGH! NO PLEASE!" She cried, I gripped her shoulders and shook her hard.
"Estelle wake up! It's a dream!" I growled at her, she sobbed in her sleep and she tossed her head wildly. She swiftly sat up and collided with my chest, she gasped as she awoke. "Are you alright my dear?" I asked, her arms fell limp and her face disappeared into my shoulder.
"No." She started to sob.
Estelle's View-
I wrapped my arms around his neck and he pulled back the sheets, lifting me to sit on his lap. I only just made out his form; the room was ever so dark! He ran his hand along my back, soothing me with his touch. I pulled away; he looked at my frightened eyes. I watched as he wrapped a corner of the silk sheet around his fingertip, he cupped my chin carefully.
"Shhh, don't cry my beauty. My heart wrenches at the sight of your unhappiness." He said, wiping my eyes like I was a child. He placed me down by his side on my large bed; he got up and moved to a large water jug on a table. I adjusted my hair as he poured me a glass; he guided my hand to the glass. Carefully I sipped the water, my head spinning with that terrible nightmare.
"Thank you Count. Knowing you're here sets my mind at ease." I said, he smiled and wrapped his hand around mine. I listened as he moved closer to me in the dark, he removed the glass from my hand and his cheek was against mine.
"Tell me my dear... what was it that you dreamt?" He asked, cold breath rushed along the exposed skin of my nightdress. My skin burst into flames, he passed his lips along my jaw line.
"I-I dreamt of a dark and filthy cell, where two men resided. One was innocent and another boasted about his crimes- ah!" He wrapped an arm around my waist, raising me to my knees. Slowly he pulled back the hair from my neck, his nail dragging slowly over my skin.
"Continue..."
"The condemned man was smirking at me, leering at me in a horrible way. But... the innocent man was weeping, begging me to let him go but I did not have the key to his cell. I felt so sad for him..." The Count pulled away, taking my hands in one of his. I closed my eyes as he cupped my face. ".. then the innocent man lunged at me through the bars of the cell and had his hands around my throat. Crushing me to death, I b-begged him to stop but he was smiling. His face was adorned with light; I was s-so s-scared." I stuttered. "Then he told me his name." I whispered, the Count froze. His hand retreated from my cheek, his eyes seemed to glow.
"What was his name?" He asked, as though through gritted teeth. I pressed my palm to my forehead, desperate to remember. A flash of pink, burning eyes!
"His name was... G-Gankutsuou." I said, a sickening silence filled my bedroom. My eyes became adjusted to the dark; he was hunched over and staring at the floor. I bit down on my lip and crawled over to him, I hesitated before pulling back a lock of hair that covered his ear. "Your Excellency?" I asked, he said nothing. I gulped as my mouth drew nearer to his ear, my hand rested on his thigh. "My love? Are you alright?" I whispered in his ear, I carefully pressed my lips to his neck. He took a deep breath, and turned his head to me; our lips less than an inch apart.
"Forget such silly things Estelle, dreams cannot harm you." His nail ran down my throat, I closed my eyes and leaned in closer to him.
"Help me forget them." I purred.
He gazed deeply into my eyes with his own, a sad yet burning light in them. Without a word, he pulled my night gown clothed form against him, kissing me passionately: He gently gripped my hair with one hand as he caressed my back. I mewled ever so slightly, giving him more than enough opportunity for his long tongue to slither its way into my mouth; teasing the tip of my oral appendage ever to slightly. He felt me relax and smirked, continuing to wage war on my tongue, sending me into a euphoric cloud of bliss. In my love-drunken stupor, I slowly began to unbutton his shirt, fumbling with the buttons as I half concentrated on my fingers' task and half on the Count's talented tongue as he swirled it around and suckled mine to get my attention-it worked. He bit my tongue softly, nibbling delicately with his sharp fangs and lapping up the blood from it greedily.
I pulled away to breathe, a sticky amount of red tainted saliva still threading our tongue's together; finally ridding him of his shirt and tangling my fingers in his soft, silky tresses. The Count slowly lowered me back onto the bed, his pale blue skin seeming to glow in the low light. He loomed over me, suckling and nipping my neck with his fangs, an unbelievable surge of pleasure washing over me like a typhoon. As he did his, his claws gently raked over my night gown down to my legs, sending deep shivers down my spine. I moaned softly as he teased and caressed my delicate flesh gently with his claws, a smirk playing on his lips as I shuddered.
"You're so sensitive...it's cute." He flashed me one of his infamous smirks, making me blush a cherry red colour all over my body. "...and such a lovely shade, red suits you my dear."
Before I had time to react, he begin to kiss up my leg to my inner thigh and I let out something between a gasp and a loud cry, gently gripping his hair and moaning his name softly. I heard him emit a low growl and he began to feast on the flesh of my legs, nibbling and sucking, making me whimper and mewl softly like an injured bird. As he travelled upwards, his face met my gown and he frowned slightly before he looked up at me with impish intent gleaming in his red and gold orbs.
"Why don't we get rid of this unsightly thing, hmm?" And with one swift movement, I was under the Count, in nothing more than my silken underwear. His eyes traced over me, memorizing my form; etching every curve, dimple and dip into his mind. I was blushing darkly and looked away, hiding under the satin sheets, trembling as his eyes gazed upon me; seeming to glow with unknown lust and want. His clawed hands gently pulled away the sheets; cupping my cheeks and making me stare into his mesmerizing orbs. "Why do you hide yourself from me my sweet...if I remember correctly, you said something about looks not being so important." I shyly looked away, but he only brought my face back to his gaze. "You are a rare golden flower hidden in the night, a unique creature such as yourself that is beautiful inside and out requires...delicate nurturing..." He purred.
I shuddered as his hands gently stroked and massaged my breasts, my pink buds perking at his tender caresses and growing hard and full. I sighed gently as he nuzzled his face into my soft and pale bosom, chuckling.
"Mmmmmm, I only imagined how soft you were but I never knew..." He licked and nibbled my left breast, getting a moan out of me. He trailed his tongue slowly from my breast down to my belly, his free hands still massaging and kneading my chest like dough.
I could feel my body shuddering and turning to putty under this night predator, and yet I prayed he wouldn't stop. I was quickly brought out of my trance when I felt his claws play with the hem of my undergarments; blushing red, his eyes gleaming up at me in the dark.
"Excellency-"
"Shhh, it's alright little one, I've got you." He gently slipped his hand into my underwear; I turned my head, trembling from the sensation and the nervous feeling building up in my stomach. He teasingly let his fingers play in my coarse blonde curls, smirking as a deep groan came from me above. His middle finger flicked over my clit, making me suddenly jerk and toss my head into the cool pillows. He gently stroked my slightly wet entrance, a soft yet low growl escaping his curled lips. His nail lightly scratched my entrance, making me whimper, but it was soon replaced with a sharp cry as his finger slid deep inside my warm folds. Slowly and carefully, he slid in and out, over and over; searching for that one spot that would set me ablaze with pleasure. I gripped the sheets tightly, moaning and calling out to him; my hips arching and bucking the empty air. Just as I thought I would find nirvana, he denied me and slid his finger free from my now soaked pearl. I was just about to whimper in protest when I suddenly felt cold air; my underwear being removed; and replaced by his salivating wet tongue. As his head disappeared between my legs I threw my head back and cried to the heavens; there was even more pleasure than before now. He purred against my folds as he sloshed his tongue around, lapping at my cream and silken walls. My hips bucked gently in time with the rhythm his tongue has set, it pushing me even further towards the edge of my sanity; I could only wonder how much longer I could last.
I thought the tight coil in my belly would finally burst when he suddenly stopped, moving his head upwards and resting his forehead against mine, his red and gold eyes staring softly into my green ones; a mixed look of hunger and pain in them.
"Count?" He held me tight yet gently.
"My Estelle, my sweet...gentle...loving Estelle...you'd never betray me..." He whispered.
"Why would you think that?"
"...Forgive me my love." He kissed my neck. "I have been plagued by...bad dreams lately." I held him close.
"I'll always be here for you, I promise." I stroked his hair gently, almost like soothing an upset child, his sweet scent rolling off the bit of sweat he was emitting.
"Estelle...I want to love you...and yet I want to break you apart." He pinned my hands above my head, and all I could do was look at him like a frightened deer.
"Excellency?"
"Estelle, forgive me but I can't hold back anymore-" He slowly began fumbling with his pants.
"Excellency? Please-" Now I was frightened...or was I?
"Estelle...I want to be-" He suddenly howled in pain, doubling over and was holding his hands to his head.
"Are you alright?" I rushed to his side only to have him push me away, freeing one of his hands to fasten his pants together again and to get up. As he did I could have sworn I saw something on his forehead...something...familiar?
"I'm sorry Estelle, I seem to have forgotten my medication, I'm sorry but we must call it a night."
"Do you need any help...or just some company?" I asked shyly.
"NO! Sorry...no, that won't be required. It's just an after effect from my old sailor days. I'm sorry love, goodnight." He quickly rushed out the door.
"Good-" The door slammed. "...night." I held my nightdress to my bosom to cover myself up; face red with embarrassment. 'Did- Did I do something wrong?' I thought, and so I was left all alone in the bedroom the rest of the night, left with my worried thoughts of my beloved Count.